Means for laundering sleeved garments



Jan. 17, 1939. TROY 2,143,928

MEANS FOR LAUNDERING SLEEVED GARMENTS Filed Jan. 23, 1937 J (HOTAIR INVENTOR gATToRzr-zvs? Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR LAUNDERING SLEEVE!) GARMENTS Application January 23, 1937, SerlalNo. 121,939

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to the art of laundering, and more particularly to means for facilitating the pressing or ironing of sleeved garmerits.

In modern laundry practice the pressing or ironing of sleeved garments, and more particularly mens shirts, is carried out by subjecting the various parts of the shirt while in moist condition to separate form-pressing operations on specially designed machines, after which the shirts are hand finished, folded and packed. In the pressing or ironing of a mans shirt it is sequentially operated upon by various machines, such as a yoke machine, which presses the upper back or yoke of the shirt; a bosom machine, which presses either one half or the both halves of a shirt bosom simultaneously; a tail machine, which presses the lower portions of the back and bosom or tails, sleeve dryers in the form of pairs of steam heated arms over which the shirt sleeves are drawn; and collar and cuff ironers. Although these machines greatly facilitate the economical pressing operations, and on the whole have proven highly satisfactory, the sleeve dryers have always been a source of trouble and annoyance, for the following reasons: (1) they occupy a considerable amount of space; (2) they give off a tremendous amount of heat, which is especially objectionable in the summer time; (3) great care must be exercised in the application of the shirt sleeves thereover to avoid tearing of the shirts; (4) they frequently unduly enlarge or stretch the sleeve opening, causing the shirts to become ill-fitting; and (5) because of the relatively close spacing between the two elements thereof, cause wrinkling or folding of the previously pressed yoke and bosom portions, thus entailing additional labor in the hand finishing operations.

My present invention contemplates the elimination of the aforementioned and otherobjectionable characteristics of the sleeve dryers of the types now in use, so that this phase of shirt laundering may be carried out in a highly efficient, practical and economical manner. In its basic concept my invention contemplates drying the sleeves by directing a current of drying fluid, such as hot air, through the sleeve while one of the preliminary pressing operations is being performed. Preferably it consists in directing such current of hot air through the sleeves while performing the first or yoke-pressing operation. This can be accomplished in various ways, and although my invention is not limited to any specific means by which this may be accomplished, it may be done, for example, by having openings in the ends of the buck of the yoke-pressing machine, or by having perforated projections or attachments adjacent the ends of the buck for insertion into the sleeve heads through which the current of hot air may be directed into the sleeve heads while the yoke is being pressed. Where projections are used, these may be either rigidly or flexibly connected to the buck or other part of the pressing machine frame and the passage of the hot air therethrough may be automatically controlled by the movements of the pressing or ironing head as it is moved into and out of contact with the buck. The invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows, especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:--

Figure l is a perspective view of a pressing machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, the pressing head being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a fractional side elevation, partly in section, of an end of a pressing buck embodying a modification of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fractional top plan view of a buck, with parts thereof broken away, showing a further embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a fractional end elevation of a detail of my invention, showing means for controlling the drying fluid supply to the machine shown in Figs. 1 and'2.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 5, of the drawing, the laundering machine may be said to consist of abase l0 upon which is supported a buck II, with which a pressing head I2 is pivotally mounted for cooperative engagement about a shaft l3. The various parts are mounted upon a suitable frame (not shown) and the control of the head for movement into and out of engagement with the buck H may be through any desired mechanical or fluid operable means well known in the art. Likewise the buck ll may have any preferred contour and construction which usually consists of a hollow cast iron steam chamber I4 provided with the necessary padding and covering. The pressing head I2 has a contour with a pressing surface complemental to the top surface of the buck and likewise contains a hollow steam chest. In other words, the pressing machine buck and pressing head may be of any desired or preferred form and construction a now well known or in common use, or which may be specially designed, and per se, does not constitute a part of the present invention.

The buck II, as herein shown, is primarily designed for pressing or ironing the yoke of a mans shirt or an analogous sleeved garment. As conventionally practiced, the pressing operation is performed by laying the yoke portion of a moist shirt upon the buck and bringing the pressing head down into engagement therewith. This operation is usually the first of a series of sequential operations in the pressing of a shirt, and in the course thereof the sleeves of the shirt, which are moist, hang limp over the ends of the buck.

According to the present invention I propose to dry the sleeves simultaneously with the carrying out of the yoke-pressing operation, and propose to accomplish this practically without the expenditure of any additional time or labor. In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1

to 3, this is accomplished by the ends of the buck below the top thereof being formed with outwardly-directed elongated sockets I adapted to receive hot drying fluid from a supply pipe l6, and adapted to direct a current of said drying fluid through the sleeves of a shirt resting on the buck. This drying fluid preferably will be in the nature of a hot air blast which can be taken from a suitable source (not shown). To withdraw the vapor produced by the drying operation I propose to have the cuff ends of the shirt dip into cupshaped members I! which are connected by a conduit 1 8 with a source of fiuidsuction. Preferably,,the fiow of drying fluid through the buck will be automatically controlled, so that it will only take place when the pressing head is brought down into contact with the buck. To accomplish this, any suitable means operating in conjunction with the movement of the pressing head may be employed for opening and closing a supply valve 20 through which the drying fluid may enter the buck. One means of accomplishing this is shown in Fig. 5, wherein the valve 20 carries an extension arm 2| to the end of which is pivotally connected :2. link 22, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected, as at 23, to the pressing head 12, so that upon the pressing head I2 being moved down into contact with the buck H, the valve will be moved in one direction, that is, to its open position, and upon raising the pressing head, the valve will be moved to its closed position.

It may be desirable and advantageous to have the current of drying fluid which enters the sleeves pass both longitudinally and transversely therethrough. To accomplish this there may be connected to each end of the buck, either by a rigid connection, such as a screw-threaded nipple 25 shown in Fig. 3, or a flexible conduit 26, as shown in Fig. 4, a hollow foraminated projection 2'! (Fig. 3) or 28 (Fig. 4) adapted to be inserted into the sleeve heads or over which the sleeve heads may be drawn as the yoke portion of the shirt is laid on the buck. The hollow projection 27 may be formed of any suitable material, such as fabric or metal, and as will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 3, such projection will direct the heated drying fluid received thereby, both longitudinally and transversely through the shirt sleeves. The foraminated hollow projection 28 will preferably be formed as a hollow metal cup, and in view of its flexible attaching connection 26, may be inserted into a sleeve head either prior or after the shirt portion to be pressed is laid on the buck.

It will be understood, of course, that other specific means may be employed for directing a current of hot drying fluid through the sleeves or tubular elements of the garment, and also that this sleeve-drying operation can be carried out at any of the sequential steps in the pressing of the sleeved garment. In fact, it may also be carried out as a separate and distinct operation independently of any of the pressing operations. Accordingly, the invention as described is not to be considered as limited by the specific disclosures but should be given the scope of equivalency warranted by its novelty and as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a laundering machine, in combination, a buck of a form to support a part of a sleeved garment adjacent a sleeve-head thereof, means, adjacent the buck end at which the sleeve-head will be positioned for discharging drying fluid under pressure outwardly with relation to said buck end, an ironing head for cooperative engagement with the buck for pressing the part of the garment resting thereon, and valve means operable by the movement of the ironing head for controlling the passage of the drying fluid through the sleeve.

2. In a laundering machine, in combination, a buck of the form to support the yoke of a sleeved garment between the sleeve-heads thereof, means adjacent the ends of the buck for projecting drying fiuid under pressure outwardly with respect to said buck ends, through the sleeve-heads of a garment when the yoke thereof is positioned on the buck, an ironing head for cooperative engagement with the buck for pressing the yoke of a garment when resting on said buck and valve means operable by the movement of the ironing head for controlling the passage of the drying fluid through said buck ends.

MAX TROY. 

